Construction of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line project in Lagos, Nigeria, the first electrified light rail in West Africa, was completed on Dec 21, 2022.
The line is about 28 kilometers long, and connects Marina, the commercial center of Lagos, with the Badagry region in the West. The line includes 11 stations and has a designed speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The first phase of the project is 13 kilometers long and has five stations.
A train operates on the LRMT Blue Line in Lagos, Nigeria. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The Lagos Lagoon Viaduct is a 557-meter bridge that has more than 80 percent of its length over the water. It is a key section of the LRMT Blue Line.
Located at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean into the sea, the bridge was difficult to build due to the depth of the water and submarine obstacles. Therefore, special structures were adopted to guarantee quality and on-schedule operation of the project.
Innovative technologies were also used in engineering and construction of the line.
The LRMT Blue Line is the infrastructure with the most investment in Lagos, the largest urban center with the greatest economy and population in Africa. Once operational, it is expected to help relieve traffic pressure in the region and will act as a model for planning and construction of rail transit system in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.
Passengers pose for a picture to mark their experience of taking the LRMT Blue Line that recently started operation in Lagos, Nigeria. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The project was generally contracted by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, designed by China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd. and built by China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd. and China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau Group Co., Ltd., all of which are subsidiaries of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
